A clinic to shed the excess weight

Kochi: In news that good bring cheer to the obese, a ‘Weight Loss Clinic’ has been started at the PVS Memorial hospital here offering a host of weight loss solutions through Laparoscopic surgery.

These surgeries are medically termed as Bariatric Surgery. The WHO has categorised obesity as a disease. The clinic was inaugurated here last night by Advocate General K P Dandapani.

Severe obesity damages the body by its adverse effects on normal bodily function. These “co-morbidities” affect nearly every organ in the body in some way or the other and produce serious secondary illnesses which may also be life threatening, a press release from the hospital said.

Available Statistics shows that Individuals with obesity could have risk of 55 percent increase in mortality rate, 70 percent increase in coronary artery disease, 75 percent increase in stroke, 40 percent increase in diabetes and nearly one third of them have sleep disorders and respiratory problems. There is 33 per cent less chances that a morbidly obese adult achieving the average if expectancy of 65 years as in the case of those with normal weight.

Diet and exercise regimes will help only 15-20 percent of such cases.

Bariatric Surgery could offer a sustained weight loss along with improvement in their systemic illness like diabetes, weight loss along with improvement in their systemic illnesses like diabetes,hypertension, hypercholesteramia, sleep disorders and joint related diseases.

The clinic would be a comprehensive unit which would care of overall improvement in patient’s health related issues along with programmed weight loss. The surgical procedures intended for weightloss are done laparoscopically and patients may be required to stay in the hospital for 3 to 4 days.

The surgical team consists of well experienced laparoscopicsurgeons, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologist, dietician and psychologist. The clinic plans to focus on the overall health of the patient in terms of improvement in systemic illnesses along with weight loss.